Archive · 23 Sep 2026
IIT Guwahati Bacterium Breaks Down Toxic Textile Dye
Textile factories use dyes to give clothes bright colours.
The water left over can contain chemicals that are difficult to remove.
Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati found a bacterium that can break down one of these dyes.
The bacterium is called Brevundimonas sp.
AJZ05.
In laboratory tests, it removed 98.50% of a dye called Direct Blue-6.
It uses an enzyme called azoreductase to break the dye apart.
The researchers also found that the substances left after the process were not toxic.
The method still needs more testing before it can be used in factories.
Researchers identified Brevundimonas sp. AJZ05 from a native textile effluent discharge site.
The bacterium degraded 98.50% of the synthetic azo dye Direct Blue-6 in laboratory experiments.
Its azoreductase enzyme attacks the azo bond that gives the dye stability and colour.
Researchers found the resulting degradation products were non-toxic after bacterial treatment.
The team plans to immobilise the bacterium and develop a continuous treatment system for industrial use.
- Who
- Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, led in the report by Associate Professor Dr Selvaraju Narayanasamy.
- What
- They identified a bacterium, Brevundimonas sp. AJZ05, that degraded 98.50% of the azo dye Direct Blue-6 in laboratory tests.
- When
- The research has been published, while development of a practical treatment system remains ongoing.
- Where
- The bacterium was isolated from a native textile effluent discharge site, and the research was conducted at the Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati.
- Why
- The aim is to develop a safer and more sustainable way to treat toxic textile wastewater and reduce reliance on energy-intensive, chemical-heavy processes.
- Bacterium
- Brevundimonas sp. AJZ05
- Target dye
- Direct Blue-6, a synthetic azo dye
- Dye degradation
- 98.50% under optimised laboratory conditions
- Enzyme
- Azoreductase
- Enzyme activity
- 0.761 U/mL under the reported optimised conditions
- Post-treatment toxicity
- Degradation products were found to be non-toxic
- Next step
- Immobilise the bacterium in a support matrix and develop a continuous treatment system
- Publication
- Environmental Geochemistry and Health